Saia Inc. volunteers drive streamlined processes, data-fueled growth, and solar-powered education opportunities with Soccer in the Streets
Sponsored by Saia, Inc.
Soccer in the Streets (SITS) is a sports-based youth development organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. Their mission is to improve the lives of kids by providing access to the benefits of sport through high-quality community-based programs. They believe that encouraging kids to have a stake in where they live is important; SITS “Garden FC” learning garden project is a great example of that potential, as well as evolving the youth in helping to design one of our learning centers. SITS also offers a referee apprentice program that teaches self-confidence and job readiness while providing income. Affordability and transportation hurdles mean many kids in the metro Atlanta area do not have access to safe places to play soccer or the resources required to travel. StationSoccer is a city-wide project sharing a vision to create a system of transit-connected sports locations anchored by Atlanta’s MARTA transit stations.
Soccer in the Streets has experienced significant growth recently. To continue growing sustainably, they reached out to Apparo for assistance in implementing a comprehensive technology plan. Apparo matched the organization with a skilled volunteer team from Saia Inc. that assessed their infrastructure, operations, security, and technology policies. Through this Community Impact Project (CIP), the assessment allowed volunteers to identify pain points and opportunities for improvements to create a comprehensive technology plan and roadmap for implementing recommendations.
When discussing the project experience, Director of Operations, Chelsea Wood, shares, “We are excited to present recommendations that came from this plan to our Board. We are incredibly grateful to say that we hit almost every programmatic goal we had. A huge thank you to the Apparo and Saia teams that supported this work. They were so resourceful and helpful through this process. I‘m also so grateful for the compassion and willingness of the volunteers to meet us where we were at, even when we didn‘t have all of the answers to their questions.”
Through implementing the recommendation to bring on a managed service provider, Soccer in the Streets staff now feels better equipped to proactively address technology issues. This strategic move, paired with improvements in communications, is projected to save over 780 hours of staff time annually, enabling the organization to navigate challenges intentionally rather than reactively firefighting. Beyond this impressive time savings, the organization anticipates a multitude of additional positive outcomes. Consolidating to Microsoft 365, rather than using multiple platforms, eliminates many redundancies and confusion that can hinder efficiencies. Utilizing optimized communication tools to enable meaningful data collection, Soccer in the Streets can more effectively and powerfully tell their story to potential funders and program participants. The organization plans to leverage project recommendations to make data-driven decisions that align with their research-based approach, perpetuating their nonprofit mission.
Embracing a Sustainable Future
An unexpected but transformative outcome from this project work is the concept of solar-powered classrooms at soccer fields that currently lack electricity access. Volunteers created this innovative solution, establishing secure Wi-Fi, greatly expanding educational opportunities, and amplifying the nonprofit’s impact. Soccer in the Streets is now working to incorporate solar-powered classrooms in their planning.
In addition to supporting the organization in streamlining their tech footprint and processes and ideating solar-powered classrooms, volunteers have helped equip Soccer in the Streets with fortified security measures, ensuring valuable data remains protected. With this Technology Plan and the support of dedicated Saia volunteers, the organization is hopeful about sustainably continuing their growth and fulfilling their nonprofit mission.
Saia, Inc. volunteer Rohit Lal shares, “This project was a great learning experience for our team. I personally experienced incredible teamwork. We knew we had great people on our team, but it was good to hear the different perspectives that created such a positive impact on this organization.”
One-Year Impact Update: Streamlined Nonprofit Operations
One year following this work, we checked in with Soccer in the Streets (SITS) Director of Operations, Chelsea Wood, to see how their anticipated impacts played out. Since their CIP with Apparo and Saia, Inc., the team has seen many improvements in operations, productivity, and strategic planning. SITS was able to fully transition to the Google platform, centralizing digital operations for greater efficiency and ease of use for staff and volunteers. In line with their operational centralization, the team created integrations with QuickBooks and implemented automations that significantly reduced manual processes. This shift cut down staff time spent on repetitive tasks and troubleshooting, greatly increasing productivity. Chelsea also reported that by replacing manual data collection methods with digital processes, SITS now benefits from more accurate and efficient reporting on program impact.
A Tech-Fueled Future: Powering Sustainable Nonprofit Growth
In addition to process improvements, the organization has experienced a shift toward a more technology-forward mindset. They created a Technology Committee within the Board of Directors, described as a “game-changer” by Chelsea. The team is also reviewing cybersecurity processes and looks forward to continuing to develop processes and focus on forward-thinking initiatives that support long-term organizational health. Among exciting developments stemming from this work is the launch of solar-powered classrooms, an initiative Chelsea shares is scheduled for January 2026.
Reflecting on the collaboration, “With the help of both the Apparo and Saia teams, we have been able to streamline our technological practices in order to maximize our efforts toward improving the lives of children. The outlined plan, as well as the individualized support to secure resources, helped our team form technology committees, streamline productivity, and explore innovative tools for the betterment of our community.”, says Chelsea.
